MY LITERARY CENTS by Audilia Wakesho Mwamburi

The beauty of the four-letter word (Life)

The beauty of life is in the grey areas

Not being too good (you might be considered ignorant), Not being too bad (you might be deemed arrogant)

It is neither in the radiant sunrise that greets us each morning nor in the gloomy sunset that bids us good bye. But it is in the reawakening of one's mind to wonder , with an o and wander with an a.

It is in the midst of heightening emotions that one opts to dwell in joy, peace and love for each other even though we might be strangers ! The beauty of this four letter word lies not in the whisper of a secret in a quiet moment nor the chaos in the loudest moment.

But it is in the simple pleasures that make us feel comfortably happy; can be a hot cup of coffee on a lazy morning or a glass of mocktail/cocktail, in your favourite sundowner joint. It is in the moments that make you wonder with an o and wander with an a!

This four letter word, calls us to focus on the beauty of Human connection, of shared experiences and memories of each other that transcend time and space. The beauty of life is a neverending story ,ever unfolding and ever-climaxes, reminding us to appreciate every single minute that passes and Cherishing every precious second that this very life has to offer!

~Audilia Wakesho

#rejectfinacialbill

The outlook of Gen z about African Literature is that this generation have found comfort in freely expressing both the robustness and vulnerability in whatever literary work they read and write unlike the Millennial generation. It is in so doing that they have brought newness in thoughts and how to express them, however this is yet to get the reception into the African Literature space and conversation.

One of the main elements that makes Son of Woman an ideal master Piece of a Popular Text over the years is in it central themes. The image of a woman, the question of morality and urban poverty.

Prior to the discussion on the aforementioned themes, let us have a listen to how the main character Dodge kiunyu has been described in the book to get a glimpse of why this is a popular text.

Here we go. Dodge kiunyu is a sensitive man and a gentleman at the same time. But the creator in his infinite wisdom made one mistake! Dodge is born in Kenya, born African. Born as a son of a prostitute, the result of a five minute pleasure tumble in a back alley slum bed by a man his mother could never remember accurately after a drunken binge at a local shack bar! Thus, Dodge hates women!

Many a times we get entangled into reading a book that appeals to our instincts as the author talks to us. However, have we ever bothered to read a book that not only talks but also listens as well? Don't act surprised - there are such books! By the way.

African Literature Conversation

#2024 ( Consciously Optimistic )

Mouthpiece of a Young Soul.

It is 2024

Yes. 2,0,2,4 not 2,0,2,3, that was last year

This year is 2024, underlined and bolded

Some say it is a year of an advancement

Others say it is a year of realignment and renewal

What does 2024 actually say to you?

It is 2024

And yes, 2, 0, 2,4, mark that

Will you think this through with me?

2024 -Is said to be 'a year of growth and expansion in many areas of our lives' numerologically speaking

Mhhh..Theoretically , noting my strong faith

trust me, I say it's probable, is it practical though?

Easy does it, right?

I give you room to be consciously optimistic

What does 2024 actually say to you?

It is 2024

Yet again , 2,0,2,4,

Are we getting ahead of ourselves or ...

I mean, it is just February right? Like only less than 50 days into the year 2024...

Your guess is as good as mine...

The reality check is- it is WILD! Things are getting extremely real, like t for tough, especially in our beloved motherland country!

Oh My Goodness Gracious!

All the facets of human growth are totally , pardon that, seemingly going down the drain

Hold up! This is not a call for you to be mad as a hatter. You remember that character in Alice's adventures in Wonderland, right?

This is a call for us to try and place all the re's we can that is .. rethink, relearn , redo , name them all.

It is 2024

Say it again, 2, 0,2,4

2024 is surely not a year, to live off the fat of the land as John Steinbeck's novel ' Of Mice and Men' puts it.

Consciously optimistic, I say and challenge us to make this year, worth living:

Getting something off the ground, Learning the ropes, Keeping an eye on the ball and Banging for your buck!

Yes, this is what 2024 should actually say to you!

Audilia Wakesho Mwamburi

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Hello Literature lovers!

This new year 's African books are a notch higher as far as African Literary experience and creativity are concerned.

#2024 New Read-: African Books Enthusiasts

Understandably, the selected Kenyan Youth Poems yet to be studied have undeniably exhibited this meaningless of life through the poets' mouthpiece in showing how the personas have suffered a great deal of personal struggle to try and make sense of a life in Kenya that is candidly, unbearably tolerable noting the concerns of economic inflation rather the ever increasing taxation making the young people unspeakably desperate to explore dreadful shortcuts to survive and some opting to succumb to suicide.

The 10 selected poems namely: Ingrate, Hardly, First Crawl, Who are you, If the World Just Burned, If they Ask, A Market of Broken Scales, Gone, Reasoning, A Gift to Many, Emotions ( My goodness , gracious...the title of the poems are all quite worrying... Very sad) Anyway , all these ten poems depict the characteristics of Absurdism- an enactment of the sisyphus myth by conveying the human behaviour of being unpredictable, irrational, individualistic, purposeless and questioning the meaning of life whilst exploring subjective feelings of existence.

Is Kenyan Youth Poetry a Re-enactment of the Sisyphus Myth?

What happens when you realize that life is meaningless?